Biography and Family Record of Lorenzo Snow: One of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day SaintsSnow, Eliza R. (Eliza Roxey)
Religion
Biography and Family Record of Lorenzo Snow: One of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Snow, Eliza R. (Eliza Roxey)
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; Snow family; Snow, Lorenzo, 1814-1901
In April, 1842, at the Conference in Manchester, President P. P. Pratt
presiding, Lorenzo Snow represented the London Conference, consisting
of four hundred members, fourteen Elders, thirty-two Priests, seven
Teachers, eight Deacons, including ten branches. During his presidency
he visited and preached to congregations in many places, bearing
testimony to the truths of the Gospel of the Son of God, having, at
the time of embarking for his native country, traveled in England four
thousand miles.
At the close of his mission, he was appointed to take charge of a
company of Saints, consisting of about two hundred and fifty souls,
_en route_ for Nauvoo; and in January, 1843, embarked on the ship
"Swanton." The commander, Captain Davenport, and officers of the crew
were kind and courteous, which contributed much to ameliorate the
discomfort incident to life on the ocean.
The steward, a German by birth, was a young man, very affable in
manner, and gentlemanly in deportment--a general favorite and highly
respected by all. During the latter part of the voyage he took sick,
and continued growing worse and worse, until death seemed inevitable.
All means proved unavailing, and the captain, by whom he was much
beloved, gave up all hope of his recovery, and requested the officers
and crew to go in, one by one, and take a farewell look of their dying
friend, which they did silently and solemnly, as he lay unconscious and
almost breathless on his dying couch.
Immediately after this sad ceremony closed, one of our sisters, by the
name of Martin, without my brother's knowledge, went to the captain
and requested him to allow my brother to lay hands on the steward,
according to our faith and practice under such circumstances, saying
that she believed that the steward would be restored. The captain shook
his head, and told her that the steward was now breathing his last, and
it would be useless to trouble Mr. Snow. But Sister Martin was not to
be defeated; she not only importuned, but earnestly declared her faith
in the result of the proposed administration, and he finally yielded
and gave consent.
As soon as the foregoing circumstance was communicated to my brother,
he started toward the cabin where the steward lay, and in passing
through the door met the captain, who was in tears. He said, "Mr.
Snow, it is too late; he is expiring, he is breathing his last!" My
brother made no reply, but took a seat beside the dying man. After
devoting a few moments to secret prayer, he laid his hands on the head
of the young man, prayed, and in the name of Jesus Christ rebuked the
disease and commanded him to be made whole. Very soon after, to the
joy and astonishment of all, he was seen walking the deck, praising
and glorifying God for his restoration. The officers and sailors
acknowledged the miraculous power of God, and on landing at New Orleans
several of them were baptized, also the first mate, February 26, 1843.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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